Chronic motor tic disorder is more common than Tourette syndrome. Chronic tics may be forms of Tourette syndrome. Tics usually start at age 5 or 6 and get worse until age 12. They often improve during adulthood.

Symptoms:

A tic is a sudden, fast, repeated movement or sound that has no reason or goal. Tics can involve:

Excessive blinking

Grimaces of the face

Quick movements of the arms, legs, or other areas

Sounds (grunts, throat clearing, contractions of the abdomen or diaphragm)

Some persons have many kinds of tics.

A person with the condition can hold off these symptoms for a short time. But they feel relief when they carry out these movements. They often describe the tics as a response to an inner urge. Some say they have abnormal sensations in the area of the tic before it occurs.

Tics may continue during all stages of sleep. They may get worse with:

Excitement

Fatigue

Heat

Stress

Exams and Tests:

The doctor can usually diagnose a tic during a physical examination. Tests are generally not needed.

To be diagnosed with the disorder:

You must have had the tics nearly every day for more than a year

You have not had a tic-free period longer than 3 months

Treatment:

Treatment depends on how severe the tics are and how the condition affects you. Medicines and talk therapy (psychotherapy) are used when the tics greatly affect daily activities, such as school and job performance.

Medicines can help control or reduce tics. But they have side effects, such as movement and thinking problems.

Outlook (Prognosis):

Children who develop this disorder between ages 6 and 8 usually do very well. Symptoms may last 4 to 6 years, and then stop in the early teens without treatment.

When the disorder begins in older children and continues into the 20s, it may become a life-long condition.

Possible Complications:

There are usually no complications.

When to Contact a Medical Professional:

There is usually no need to see the health care provider for a tic unless it is severe or disrupts your life.

If you cannot tell whether your movements are a tic or something more serious (such as a seizure), call your health care provider.

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